Andy Murray won only four games as he lost a virtual no-contest to world No3 Novak Djokovic, 6-0, 6-4 in the Monte Carlo Masters in Monaco.

Much has been made of the relationship between these two good friends, born just days apart and having come up through the junior ranks competing with each other on a regular basis.

But there has been a canyon between the two ever since Murray injured his wrist around this time last year, since when the Serb, currently the world's best player on form if not ranking, has surged ahead.

This match only served to show the difference between the two, if not in talent and potential, then in the delivery of these qualities. In the first set, while Murray suffered what seems to be an habitual slow start, Djokovic was the better player by a frightening margin. The scoreboard told no lies. Murray failed to win a point in his opponent's first two service games, and he didn't deserve them. The rest of the set continued in the same vein.

Djokovic's devastating power and accuracy were very much on show, and while Murray attempted to mix up his shots, he only invited the Serb into attacking positions, and asked few pertinent questions throughout the set.

Djokovic served with consumate authority, pushing his opponent wide and moving him into position to deliver a telling blow or a deft drop shot. In the blink of an eye, it was 4-0 to the Serb, then inevitably the set followed.

It is often frustrating watching Murray, and today was no different. While there was no shame in being second best on this occasion, he apparently misjudged or failed to execute his game plan.

Murray seemed determined to win points using the greatest variety of shots available. He mixed his pace and length relentlessly, regardless of his opponent and at the expense of power and aggression. But this was a questionable tactic on clay, against one of the sport's most mobile and capable athletes.

When Murray repeatedly served at 140 kph on crucial points, with little success, you wished his coach, or his mother, were allowed to run onto the court, take him by the collar and shake him vigorously into action.

Having written off the first set to love, Murray finally won a game on his first service game in the second set. He got there by virtue of several errors by Djokovic.

We saw the best of Murray early in the third game of the set, when unusually, his opponent chose a drop shot in the middle of a baseline rally. The Scot reached it easily, returning down the line with the most delicate of touches to make it 15-30. Djokovic then cracked a little, putting a forehand well wide on the next point to give Murray his first two break points of the match. He was successful on his first attempt, gifted the break when Djokovic put a routine forehand long.

In Murray's next service game, Djokovic's problems seemed to be ongoing as the Scot settled into a more solid, reliable routine. But again he changed rhythm with drop shots on consecutive rallies at 15-15, inviting Djokovic to the net, from where the Serb profited. Djokovic took the initiative right back, and a couple of big forehands later he had recovered the break.

The rest of the set was played out with high high-quality if unspectacular tennis. Both players were in a decent vein of form. Murray served powerfully and managed the points well with authoritative ground strokes, choosing at last to come over the top of his baseline shots. Suddenly the winner of the second set, if not yet the match, was tougher to predict, as they exchanged service games to make it 4-4.

There was a curious moment in game nine, as a Djokovic shot went well wide, but was not called out. The ball boy then slid over the mark when he picked up the ball, leaving the umpire no choice but to give Djokovic the point. Murray seemed resigned to losing the game and it made little difference, other than to allow the world No3 more comfort than he may have enjoyed in holding serve.

Murray was then serving to stay in the match at 4-5, and sadly he reverted to the Murray of the first set. Starting badly, choosing off-speed shots, he altered his own rhythm in an attempt to throw off his opponent. It failed miserably as he gifted two points to Djokovic to go down 0-30. There followed the most unfortunate end to the game and match, with Murray double-faulting on consecutive points.

While this was a shame, for both the Scot and the spectators, there was an air of inevitability about it. There were few victory histrionics from Djokovic, and little to show what might have been from Murray.